Shielding the old man behind him, Xia You took the initiative and commanded,
"Everyone, attack!"
His several Pokémon simultaneously launched their moves, and in an instant, colorful skills flew wildly, striking at Murkrow and Arbok.
Athena, while having her Pokémon dodge, scoffed,
"Fighting with numbers—your methods are truly different from those of a normal Trainer!"
Xia You didn't say much in response to her taunt. After all, this wasn't a Trainer battle, so there was no need to adhere to any battle rules.
However, her two Pokémon were indeed strong. Even under the encirclement of several Pokémon, they were still able to seize opportunities to counterattack.
"Murkrow, use Wing Attack!
Arbok, use Acid Spray!"
Seeing this, Xia You naturally wouldn't back down and chose to meet them head-on.
"Charmander, use Ember!
Squirtle, use Water Gun!"
The moves from both sides clashed, causing an explosion. But since Xia You'sPokémon were more numerous, he continued to command,
"Jolteon, use Thunder Shock!
Ivysaur, use Razor Leaf!"
Murkrow and Arbok were unable to dodge in time, each getting hit by a move and letting out a low wail.
"Tch!" Athena gritted her teeth. Ultimately, she had underestimated the man in front of her—and even more so, the number of his Pokémon.
"Excellent!" Seeing the attack succeed, Xia You pressed his advantage.
"Kirlia, use Confusion to control them!"
Arbok, who was originally dodging attacks, was suddenly pulled by Confusion. Its body stiffened, and Xia You's Pokémon seized the opportunity to focus fire, simultaneously landing several skills!
Being hit repeatedly made Athena realize the situation was unfavorable. Despite her unwillingness, the circumstances forced her to issue the most correct command.
"Darn it—we're retreating!"
After speaking, she recalled Arbok into a Poké Ball, then took a running start and leaped from the shattered office window of the twenty-something-story building!
Next, Xia You only felt a black shadow flash before his eyes. Murkrow swept past him, grabbed one of Athena's arms, and carried her far away from the Silph Co. Building.
Seeing that Athena had indeed left, Xia You let out a long sigh of relief. He looked at the messy floor and turned back, apologizing,
"I'm sorry for making your office like this."
The old man smiled kindly.
"It's alright. Compared to my safety, what is this small loss?"
What was unexpected was that Athena's retreat seemed to have caused a chain reaction.
The sounds of fighting in the corridor had ceased, and the voices of the Team Rocket members could no longer be heard. When Xia You opened the office door, he came face to face with Sabrina.
"Are you alright?" Xia You asked with concern, while also looking past Sabrina into the corridor behind her.
"I'm fine." Sabrina shook her head.
"It's just that while we were fighting, I don't know why, but they all suddenly retreated."
At this moment, besides the traces of the recent battle, there was no longer any sign of Team Rocket in the corridor. Even the unconscious members had been taken away.
"Perhaps their plan was disrupted, and they gave up on kidnapping this old gentleman," Xia You said. "That's probably why they chose to leave."
As he spoke, Xia You recalled his other Pokémon one by one, leaving only Kirlia and Gastly.
The old man's gaze shifted between Xia You's face and the Poké Ball containing Zapdos, nodding imperceptibly.
He sincerely expressed his gratitude.
"I am truly grateful to both of you. If you hadn't lent a hand today, not only would this company have been completely destroyed, but even this world might have suffered a catastrophe."
This was no exaggeration. If the Master Ball truly fell into the hands of Team Rocket and was mass-produced, it would inevitably cause severe damage to the ecological balance.
"We just did what we could," Xia You replied.
Then he turned to Sabrina and said, "There are still many researchers locked up elsewhere. I think it's best to call the police and let them handle the rest."
Sabrina nodded and went downstairs to take care of the necessary arrangements. Xia You then had Gastly scout the surroundings to ensure there were no remaining dangers.
After everything was settled, he was invited back into the office by the old man.
"I apologize. I haven't had the chance to introduce myself," the old man said.
"My name is Mr. Silph, and I am the president of this company."
Xia You had already guessed this.
"Hello, Mr. Silph. I am Xia You, a Pokémon Trainer."
Mr. Silph invited Xia You to rest briefly on the heavily damaged sofa and observed him for a long time. As if finally making a decision, he walked to a wall and activated a switch, revealing a high-tech safe.
After entering his fingerprints, he opened the safe and took out a Poké Ball.
This Poké Ball looked different from ordinary Poké Balls. Its lower half was white, while the upper half was blue-purple, with two pink semicircles resembling eyes on either side—and a large "M" in the center.
Walking up to Xia You, Mr. Silph solemnly handed it to him.
"As a reward, I intend to give you this Master Ball."
"Isn't this gift too valuable?" Xia You quickly stood up.
"Take it," Mr. Silph sighed.
"Only a few Master Balls have been produced, and they've already caused such chaos. If the research were truly completed, who knows what other disasters it might bring."
"Then why not seal it away forever, Towa?" Xia You asked.
Mr. Silph shook his head.
"Treasures, no matter where they are buried, will attract greedy people. It's better to leave it in your hands."
Seeing his firm attitude, Xia You pondered briefly, then accepted the weighty gift with both hands.
When Sabrina returned, Xia You, to avoid unnecessary trouble, decided to leave quietly before the police arrived.
Whether it was Zapdos or the Master Ball, he didn't want to draw outside attention.
The two bid farewell to Mr. Silph and took the elevator down. Outside the building, they watched the sun slowly set. Though only a few hours had passed, the intense battles made it feel like an eternity.
At that moment, Sabrina said,
"Alright. Since the entrusted matter is complete, I should return to the Saffron Gym."
Xia You turned to look at her. Though he wanted to say more, he ultimately remained silent and simply extended his right hand.
"I hope we can meet again next time."
Sabrina nodded, gently clasping his hand.
"My intuition tells me we definitely will."